Sunday, September 7, 2008

4:15
Dee H
Yesterday was warming up, sketching today, learning about color and doing a painting.
I learned to go back to the start again having learned from the critique, focusing again on color and technique, focusing on seaweed and more focus on seaweed and grass.  I also learned a lot about mixing colors which I had forgotten about ...I wrote down the combinations this time.
Burnt siena and viridian made a good sea grass.  Wash for the rocks, a lemon yellow with a touch
of alizarin.

Marty
I learned to sit on my stool without falling off and to wear my cap backwzrds...about mixing color...who would believethat if you mixed burnt sienna with aquamarime bl that you would get get this gorgeous blue gray and also mix aquamarine could be mixed with aliz red and it would give you fabulous blue gay.When it rain son my paper I get snow flakes all over my painting...little star blotches.

Dee D
I have a lot to learn is what I learned...I need to rest...I'm very tired this afternoon.  I need
some bigger watercolor brushed... do some vignettes, smaller waterccolor sketches.  I enjoyed this afternoon and realize the energy it takes to be creative.

Carol C
The sailor noted that I have "3 buck chuck" in the back of my car.  He drinks it too.
Feeling a bit discouraged...I'm finding it challenging to climb out old habits.





Painting on Clarke Island

Friday, September 5
We arrive in pairs at the Craignair Inn.  Some of us have driven for 9 hours from Vermont to get here.  As soon as we can settle and gather ourselves together we meet in the parlor for wine and cheese and a little slide presentation on painters who have painted in Maine...Winslow Homer, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, the Wyeths, Edward Hopper, Yvonne Jacquette, Childe Hassam...a way to show a variety of ways of seeing, a variety of techniques.  The group begins to see possibilities and excitement grows for being in the presence of the inspiration for such great painting.

Saturday, September 6
Seven women painting on Clarke Island, Maine gather in the morning fog.  Their task this first
day is to become familiar with this magical place...introduce themselves to the forest, meadows, bogs, quarry, and rocky coast that make this our chosen setting to paint for four days.  We break for lunch and then head out to the cove to start some exercises to help us
focus on what is here.  

Sunday, September 7
After a had rain last night the morning is clear, no fog, just gray clouds...time to go to the
cove and set up to paint...mostly with watercolors, one of us with water-soluble oils.
We work on color...getting to know the colors of grass, seaweed, rocks and sea.  Rain moves
in and we take a break for snack and a critique.  The sky clears and we return to the scene.
We put off going to the Farnsworth to see the artists so that we take advantage of the 
perfect painting weather.


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Water Scrolls, Mapping the New Haven

Canoeing in Lincoln Pond, with my son Orion, we paddled through water weeds each with a finely etched drawing through the surface. A tiny organism was eating a unique drawing in each leaf. These leaves were yellow green or maroon...about
an inch and a half. We collected several to dry. Later I used them as a resist in monoprinting.